A letter Shmulik (Debby's brother)  got from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... 

Thank you for your query.

Israel does not discriminate on the basis of religious affiliation or creed. Christian and Muslim citizens and permanent residents of Israel enjoy full equal rights.

Messianic Jews who are citizens also enjoy equal rights. However, a Messianic Jew from abroad who seeks to become an Israeli citizen will not be considered acceptable under the Law of Return, which excludes Jews who have taken up another religion. Native born Israeli Messianic Jews cannot lose their citizenship by virture of their religious beliefs.

Friction has occurred between groups of Messianic Jews and their surrounding communities, whenever the Messianic Jews have been perceived as attempting to proselytize. This is because non-messianic Jews consider them apostates bent on proselytizing Jews and luring them away from the Jewish people. This is particularly so regarding Jews from the former Soviet Union who lack a strong Jewish upbringing when they come to Israel and face a crisis of identity.

What seems to be hard for supporters of Messianic Jews to accept is that their very presence might be the cause of considerable friction with their Jewish neighbors, particularly when they are perceived as attempting to proselytize their Jewish neighbors. With all due respect to the religious freedom of Messianic Jews, if their behavior is perceived as antagonistic vis a vis the religious freedom of Israeli Jews, they invite a negative response.

That said, there is of course no justification for violence, whether verbal or otherwise. If Messianic Jews feel they have been the victims of violence or any other injustice, they have recourse to the police, the courts, and the media. Curiously, despite the recent, well orchestrated campaign in the United States on behalf of the Messianic Jews of Arad, there has been only a single report in the Israeli press about harassment. This is the kind of story that would generate lots of coverage -- were there much substance to it.

The Gur Hassidim are evidently reacting to what they perceive as attempts to proselytize Jews. Israeli Jews don't proselytize Armenians, or Arab Christians, or Arab Muslims, or Hindus, or anyone else. On the other hand, throughout history Christian groups have tried to convert Jews, often by the sword. It is unfortunate when the most loving, God-fearing, Messianic Jews ignore this and are then surprised or affronted by the hostility of believing Jews who consider them to be a threat.

Since your query relates to an internal issue, please contact the Israel Police spokesman: akam@police.gov.il If you fail to obtain satisfaction from the police, you could try our Justice Ministry at yaelk@justice.gov.il. You might also consider writing a letter to the editor of The Jerusalem Post or Haaretz.

Information and Internet Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem